A 39-year-old artist, who announced to her large following that she is single and child-free, said she was stunned by the backlash to her blasé admission—an experience she told Newsweek reflects the lingering stigma around women who choose valid life paths that are still seen as deviations to the norm.

Samantha Rothenberg, an artist known online as @violetclair, had taken to Threads where she introduced herself to followers, noting that she lives alone in a woodland cottage, is nearly 40, has no children or partner, and wishes to remain child-free. The message, meant to offer a personal glimpse beyond her art-focused posts, quickly went viral and drew thousands of responses—many benign, but some sharply critical.

In an Instagram reflection on November 10, Rothenberg said that she w

See Full Page